Batroun is among the world's oldest cities, with its name, Botrys, derived from the Phoenician word bater, meaning "to cut." It is believed to have been founded by Ithobaal I (Ethbaal), the king of Tyre, whose daughter Jezebel (897–866 B.C.) married Ahab. During Roman rule, Batroun was part of the Phoenicia Prima province, and after the region embraced Christianity, it became a suffragan of the Patriarchate of Antioch.
Batroun is about 1-hour drive from Beirut, and Anfeh is about 15 minutes further along the coast. Anfeh, another Phoenician town that was thought to have been founded around 1300 B.C., but ancient pottery, which dates to 3200 B.C., provides compelling evidence that the town was once a much older and more significant city in antiquity.
Anfeh is also one of the oldest cities in the world and is only 15 minutes drive from Batroun. We really enjoy a day going to Anfeh for lunch, swimming, kayaking, wandering around the town and then returning back to Beirut. We go to Henry's Museum and then to Batroun to walk around, go to the Phoenician wall and have a drink at sunset or dinner.
Batroun things to do and restaurants: Phoenician wall, walk through the Old Souk and go to the harbour
*In Batroun, there are lots of places to eat and drink. Below are a couple of places we would recommend. As it is peak season, it is highly recommended to book. There are also some great beaches that can be found on the Beaches page.
- Henry Museum
-Titans (sunset drink)
- Kai beach Batroun
- Joining beach Batroun
-Bilini Batroun (sunset drink)
-Batroun Old Souk (for drinks)
-Villa Paradiso Batroun (for dinner)
-Ohannes for dinner (amazing Armenian food)
-Bahsa by al Mandaloun (breakfast, lunch or dinner)
- Pierre & Friends beach (swim and have nice food on the beach)
- Colonel Brewery (a cool brewery on the beach) - enjoy a drink while swimming!
Anfeh things to do and restaurants:
Nothing beats chilling and enjoying the calm sea in Anfeh. Chez Fouad is a nice Lebanese and fish restaurant on the sea; images are below. Try "Bizri" (Whitebait fish) at Anfeh, as it's one of their speciality fish dishes.
Places to stay:
Anfeh: Ô Fleur de Sel and Iskandar Guesthouse
Batroun: Blue Marlin, Villa Paradiso and Beit Douma.
Anfeh
Batroun